Recreo

Third grade ended with the bell. I was ready for recreo. Ashley and I made our way to the computer room and then out to the play area. The older kids always have a soccer game going and I knew Ashley would want in on the action. She played with them for a while. I had promised the 6th graders that they could dance their new dance-the Tush Push- for Ashley during recreo since she wouldn’t be coming to see their class, so they started begging me to cue up the music. When recreo was half over (and Ashley had had her semi-fill of soccer), I turned on the music for the electric slide (their first dance). It was a fast version (which they beg for!), and it was all girls. The boys sat on the sideline yelling, “Faster, faster!” as if I had the power to make a song faster…
After that, I played a slow version of the Tush Push for practice. Then we played a faster version. They did really well. I actually think it’s easier for them than the electric slide.
I was getting hot (shocker), so I sat out the last half of the fast song. The girls wanted to do the electric slide again, so I sat that out, too! The fourth graders were crowding around me asking me if I’d be teaching them today. I told them yes, after recreo, like every Friday. Guillermina, the 6th grade teacher looks at me, smiles, and says, “No, we’re leaving early today.” Based on her smile, I thought she was pulling my leg. It always seems to be her class that I walk into at 11:45 and then am told that we will be dismissing at 12 (or else the bell just rings in the middle of my fun activity!). I laughed at her and told her her joke was funny. Then she informed me that she wasn’t kidding.
We were dismissing at 11 again due to the bathroom construction. Ugh. I mean, I had a full agenda for Ashley and I had no problem getting right to it, but, if there ever were a person who actually wanted to see my teaching, and a lot of it, it was Ashley. When she sat out a semester (twice) at Lipscomb due to her concussion and repercussions, she spent some quality time at my school observing and helping. The students knew her; she was kind of like my room mom. Only she wasn’t a mom!
Anyway, she got to know my teaching style, capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. She also got to know my students. Most people after about one or two classes get bored with seeing the same type thing. She would definitely multi-task (internet, creating visuals for me, etc), but she could make it through whole days. Here, I expected it to be the same. She would enjoy seeing the differences (and understand them) between the US/Mexico and teaching Spanish/English, as well as the differences among each grade level. I was disappointed that due to our tetanus run and early dismissal, she was only getting to see one class. True to my life here, though, you have to deal with unplanned things. Also true to my life here, my professional life is my least favorite aspect, so it was nice to get to just enjoy the kids…and then walk away.
The teachers took advantage of the time and had a faculty meeting. Being the English teacher/gringa/teacher with a friend in town, I had the perk of not having to stay for the meeting. (*Note: Most English teachers are considered part time in the school and don’t have to stay for stuff like that anyway.) Ashley and I made our way to the bus.